Memphis to hosts Creative Works Conference in October

In less than a month, Memphis will host creatives from all over the country for the second Creative Works Conference.

This year’s event runs October 1st through October 3rd at Central Station and Emerge Memphis. This year’s theme is “Create Something Together.”

The conference celebrates the often overlooked but essential role of creatives in every community. But more than that, it's a place to both form and catalyze our own creative community—to learn from one another, have some fun, dream together, and take action.

“Memphis needs more events and amenities to help connect, grow, and empower people who are creative by nature and trade,” conference founder Josh Horton said.

Horton started the conference last year after he noticed a lack of resources for creatives to gather and share big ideas. The conference will be hosted by the voice of the Grizzlies, Rick Trotter.

“It’s important that Memphis is a place that values and champions new ideas and talent, especially when it comes to designing and building new models, systems and amenities to help solve our cities problems and inspire our young people to grow,” Horton said.

The three-day conference will bring in speakers like Bobby C. Martin Jr. (founding partner of Original Champions of Design), Viktoria Harrison (creative director of Charity Water), and Jeremy Cowart (photographer). There will also be a host of workshops on topics like collaboration to graphic creation and marketing.

Horton hopes the conference will attract a young minds to Memphis.

“Young, hardworking, talented, creative people. We're at the heart of the innovation. That has happened in our city historically, and if we want to continue that story, our city has to be a place where those people are valued and thrive today,” Horton said.

He says attendees will be inspired by renowned designers, illustrators, and storytellers, and they will attend workshops and browse the vendor marketplace with wares from all over the country, right here in Memphis.

“I hope that Creative Works becomes an inherent amenity that says to our community and to those outside of our community that we get it. We understand and value creative talent, and we’re committed to providing the types of events and amenities that help these folks grow and become known,” Horton said.

The ultimate goal is to connect like-minded people, re-ignite passion for work and dreams, and understand the amount of work and focus it takes to be successful.